Life in Nome – KNOM Radio Missionhttp://www.knom.org/wp
780 AM | 96.1 FM | Yours for Western AlaskaFri, 16 Mar 2018 23:55:13 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.459285469Nome for the Holidayshttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2018/01/05/nome-for-the-holidays/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2018/01/05/nome-for-the-holidays/#respondFri, 05 Jan 2018 21:15:18 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=32778Join the volunteers for a merry and bright discussion of what it’s like to be in Western Alaska for the “most wonderful time of the year.” ]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2017/09/2018-01-05-GabeAudioblog.mp3

KNOM runs 24 hours a day, and even on holidays like Christmas and New Year’s, there’s weather to be recorded, hotlines to read, and closures to be announced. So for the holiday season, we don’t get to go “home” to the Lower 48.

In some ways, it can be hard. It was sad for me to be away from my family. But in others, it was a wonderful opportunity to broaden our Christmas celebration experiences.

Join us for a merry and bright discussion of what it’s like to be in Western Alaska for the “most wonderful time of the year.” Listen above!

While Karen is our self-appointed resident expert on hygge — the Danish art of coziness — it’s a matter all three of us take pretty seriously this time of year. And by “this time of year,” I mean whenever it’s cold and dark. Living in Alaska gives us plenty of time to practice!

I thought I’d use this opportunity to share some of our well-earned wisdom. Since we spend all day at the station thinking about sound, I wanted to create a guide to achieving Peak Cozy with all the other senses: sight, feel, smell, and taste. And now without further ado, I present:

How to be Cozy

1. LIGHT

Arguably the most important element, a comforting glow is essential to creating a cozy atmosphere. Plus: gentle, warm lighting is the most flattering, and who doesn’t want that?

Candles are ideal [See Karen for Fire Safety Tips!], but there are lots of other options. Although certain soulless individuals would allege that Christmas/fairy/twinkle lights are “tacky,” unlike unframed posters and mini-fridges, these are one dorm room staple I still embrace.

The Cave of Wonders, a.k.a. KNOM Volunteer House, also has a nearly inexhaustible supply of lamps that cast a nice light. Whatever you choose to illuminate your space, maximize coziness with multiple light sources, arranged at eye level or lower. Aim for yellow- rather than blue-tinted light, and avoid overhead fluorescents at all costs. Working in radio, I feel professionally entitled to hate fluorescent lights: not only do they have all the charm of your least favorite dentist office, but their high-pitched droning can ruin a recording.

The KNOM volunteer house circa December 2017.

2. WARM STUFF

My personal theory is coziness is it’s mostly about contrast. That’s why light is so key (“It’s dark out there but bright in here”).

The same is true for everything you can feel. When it’s cold, windy, and wet outside, bring on the warm and fuzzy!

Sweaters, slippers, and blankets are musts. I also sacrificed major packing space in order to bring along my massive red plaid fleece bathrobe, and I haven’t regretted it for a second. I’ve happily worn a knitted hat pretty much every day I’ve spent in Alaska, beginning back in balmy June, but I wouldn’t think of leaving the house without one these days. I scored a new one this weekend in a white elephant exchange. Although I was very tempted to steal Gabe’s origami muskox, polar bear, and caribou, I think it all worked out for the best: when I pulled out the hand-knit green-and-white hat, it was instantly pronounced “a very Zoe hat.” That’s probably because I already owned a nearly identical one, but didn’t Coco Chanel say one must have a signature look? No?

3. GOOD-SMELLING STUFF

These days, “autumn” is basically synonymous with “pumpkin spice,” but in my opinion, a nice-smelling space is even more important when in the winter. You’re spending the most time indoors, after all!

At our holiday party this weekend, I was thrilled to make mini pomanders with cloves and clementines. I now have one in my room, and one on my desk at work. I also use an essential oil diffuser at night, which does double-duty as a humidifier. Karen has likened sleeping in an un-humidified winter room to being mummified. And you know what is not cozy? Cracked lips and scaly hands. I am not a year-round lotion-user, but in the winter I become emotionally dependent on the incredible-smelling hand cream my cool aunt turned me on to in high school.

Step 3: good-smelling stuff.

4. HOT BEVERAGES

I’ve talked a lot on the volunteer blog about my bodily shock at arriving in Alaska fresh from 90-something degree weather in North Carolina.

I say with confidence that July 2017 will be the single summer month in my lifetime in which I consumed the most hot chocolate. I drank it nearly daily in my first weeks, but we are now in prime hot chocolate season. And there are plenty of other great options: Warm up some apple cider or eggnog, keep it classic with coffee or tea, or channel your inner British schoolchild with mug of hot milk mixed with cinnamon and honey (I dubbed this “cinnamilk” and was unduly proud). Half the fun is just getting to hold the warm mug.

BONUS: FRIENDS!

Truly the best way to spend a cozy day: with friends! Getting outside in the elements is key to a cheerful winter, but cold weather is also a perfect excuse to invite over a friend or two or ten for TV/movie marathons, game nights, cooking or baking, or simply lounging around and chatting.

And there you have it! May your days be merry and bright!

– The Cozy Club

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/12/18/how-to-be-cozy/feed/032586KT and GC in the AMhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/12/08/kt-and-gc-in-the-am/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/12/08/kt-and-gc-in-the-am/#respondFri, 08 Dec 2017 21:45:23 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=32471Join Karen and Gabe as they talk shop about being the early morning crew at KNOM.]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2017/12/2017-10-08-audioblog-karen.mp3

This month, Gabe is joining me in the early wintery mornings as our temporary morning news host. Myself, I’ve been hosting the “Morning Show” since August.

I sat down with Gabe recently to talk about what it’s like to work in the early mornings, what we love, and what’s harder to deal with.

Join us, won’t you? Click the media player above to hear from us – and make sure to brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea while you’re at it!

Image at top: A late autumn sunrise in Nome. By the end of December, the sun will rise around noon and set four hours later. Photo: Karen Trop/KNOM.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/12/08/kt-and-gc-in-the-am/feed/032471Winter Is Coming — Oh, Waithttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/12/01/winter-is-coming-oh-wait/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/12/01/winter-is-coming-oh-wait/#respondFri, 01 Dec 2017 21:15:21 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=32311Gabe, Karen and Zoe talk all things winter — its quick onset, the challenges of an extreme environment, and some positive things to have come out of it so far.]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2017/09/2017-12-1-GabeAudioblog.mp3

“Winter is coming.” Those are the “house words” — a sort of ancestral motto — for the Starks, the northernmost clan in George R. R. Martin’s fantasy series A Song Of Ice And Fire and the HBO show Game of Thrones.

Well, in Western Alaska, winter is here.

In the land called Texas where I come from, I’m used to “winter” dropping in for a few days in January and February. Maybe we’d get freezing temperatures. Once every five or ten years, we’d get a chance of snow. Last Christmas, it was in the 70’s in Austin.

I knew spending a year in Nome would mean a whole different winter experience, and now I’m beginning to see what it’s like. Granted, it’s still early. We’re not even in the calendar season of winter, and sea ice hasn’t formed around Nome yet. But we’ve seen several blizzards, winds that will push you down the street if you’re not careful, and daylight under five and a half hours.

Listen in as I and my fellow KNOM volunteers return to the round-table format to discuss the onset of winter, its challenges, and some of our favorite experiences in it so far.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/12/01/winter-is-coming-oh-wait/feed/032311A Place Among the Starshttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/10/09/a-place-among-the-stars/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/10/09/a-place-among-the-stars/#commentsTue, 10 Oct 2017 00:14:23 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=31479In an audio essay, Gabe discusses the various communities he's becoming a part of in Nome and Western Alaska, and some of the challenges that come with moving to this new, far-away place.]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2017/09/2017-10-09-Gabe-AudioEssay.mp3

When I told people I was moving to Alaska to work in radio, one of the number-one responses was, “Oh, hey, like that show Northern Exposure!” If I had a nickel for every time someone said that, I could probably do just fine even without my volunteer stipend.

But there is some truth to that comparison. In the show, a doctor from New York City gets sent to Cicely, Alaska. The town, while surrounded by significantly more trees than Nome (read: 100% more trees), has many of the same qualities as this place: a fairly walkable downtown, a local radio station, wildlife roaming the streets (sometimes), homey bars, a cast of colorful townsfolk.

These are some of the things that contribute to the sense of community here in Nome, just as on Northern Exposure. Listen above to hear an audio essay focused on sounds from the communities of Nome and Western Alaska, the ways I’ve begun to become of part of them, and some of the challenges of moving to this far-away place.

When I was a kid, I would always go camping with my Dad in the month of August.

We’d bring all the usual supplies: camp stove, tent, s’mores supplies, bug spray…you get the picture. However, along with my two pairs of shorts, seven pairs of socks, nestled in with my t-shirts and bathing suit would always be a bag of at least eight disposable cameras.

I loved to take photos on my travels — framing up that perfect shot, capturing some sort of wild animal on film and having some sort of record or proof that I was here, and for my mom or friends back home, something physical to say I was there.

Though I took classes in photography during high school, my interest in photography waned over the years. I focused on other interests, mostly reveling in the creative works of others. However, that itch and compulsion to document what I had seen and where I had been, has resurfaced like never before while living in Nome.

I’ve decided to take a break from audio this week for the blog and spend some time on some more visual content. Below is a small (very small!) collection of some of the photos I have taken in my time here. Make sure to click through the gallery to learn more!

Image at top: A younger me (a decade ago, in fact!) attempts to line up that perfect shot, using some interesting body positioning. Photo courtesy of Harvey Trop.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/09/29/a-brief-return-to-sight-from-sound/feed/031240Listeninghttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/09/22/listening/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/09/22/listening/#commentsFri, 22 Sep 2017 20:30:10 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=31125Volunteers go off to do all sorts of things after KNOM. Zoe, who hopes to make radio forever, explains how she came to the station--and talks to Gabe about how working with sound is giving him new ideas about the work he wants to do in another field.]]>http://knom.org/wp-audio/2017/08/2017-09-22-Audioblog-Zoe_Final.mp3

“Radio is your most visual medium.”

That was an idea floated by radio veteran and This American Life creator Ira Glass almost twenty years ago. Although he went on to say that’s mostly wishful thinking, I’ve heard the phrase picked up by others in the radio world. It hits on something I love about the work we get to do at KNOM: We set the scene for our listeners using sound — and invite them to imagine it for themselves. That means when you listen to the radio, you are doing part of the work, and I hope it makes you feel like part of the story.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about telling stories through sound. I decided I wanted to make radio two years ago, when I was teaching English in Shanghai. I listened to hours and hours of podcasts, read up on radio online, and started recording on my old cracked phone: the stories of how my students chose or were given their English names, and sounds that caught my ear around the city — bleating traffic, sizzling noodles, dreamy waltzes for couples dancing in parks.

I learned about KNOM while I was living in Shanghai and was immediately intrigued, but I didn’t apply right away. Hoping to be (a little) closer to home, I returned to the continental US and settled in Durham, North Carolina. I loved Durham, where I took audio production classes, saved up money, and made a lot of wonderful friends. But after about a year, I started getting restless. I thought I remembered hearing something about a little radio station in Alaska…

So here I am! It feels like it’s been a long time coming, and I hope it’s the start of radio adventures for years to come. But not everyone comes to KNOM to start a career in radio. Volunteers go on to do everything from medicine to theater, and the experience of giving a year (or more!) of service at KNOM is, as people around here like to say, “something you’ll be unpacking for the rest of your life.”

I was curious how someone with a very different vision for his life might see radio and his work here at KNOM. I asked my co-volunteer Gabe about it, and I was surprised to hear that things have already started to shift for him as he’s found himself newly aware of the power of sound — and the importance of listening.

Image at top: An autumn sunset in Nome. Photo: Zoe Grueskin/KNOM.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/09/22/listening/feed/131125Tundra to Tablehttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/08/21/tundra-to-table/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/08/21/tundra-to-table/#commentsTue, 22 Aug 2017 01:28:47 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=30654It's a food-focused edition of the volunteer audioblog: Karen talks about their victory winning a salmon filet and options for preparing it, Zoe reveals how they get fresh greens, and Gabe recounts his experiences at an Eskimo feast.]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2017/08/2017-08-21-audioblog-gabe.mp3

Looking across the tundra at the edge of Nome, it’s easy to assume this landscape isn’t home to much. Flat, low vegetation and no trees for hundreds of miles belie the abundance and variety of life that calls this remote, extreme environment home.

Muskox, moose, caribou, blueberries, salmonberries, cloudberries, ptarmigan — it’s all here in Western Alaska. Beyond the land, Alaska’s rivers, sounds, bays, and seas are home to an incredible variety of fish, marine mammals, and other critters and organisms. And much of these flora and fauna are critical to supporting the subsistence lifestyle of both Alaska Natives and non-natives.

As residents of Nome, we volunteers have access to two grocery stores and a handful of restaurants, which is far more than most Western Alaskans can say. But as we discuss in this week’s audioblog, the most extraordinary flavors and experiences come not from off the shelves but from right off the tundra, whether picked or fished personally or generously shared by members of the community.

Karen talks our victory winning a salmon filet and options for preparing it, Zoe reveals how we get fresh greens, and I recount my experiences at an Eskimo feast. Take a listen in the media player above to get the full scoop.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/08/21/tundra-to-table/feed/630654Sashaying with Sachets in the Sunlighthttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/08/11/sashaying-with-sachets-in-the-sunlight/
Fri, 11 Aug 2017 20:15:28 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=30521Sun guilt is so real, and this week on the volunteer audioblog, Karen and company shine the spotlight on their new and old experiences of an Alaskan summer.]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2017/08/2017-08-10-audioblog-karen.mp3

The concept of “Sun Guilt” — feeling guilty for not maximizing the benefit of limited sunny, fair weather days — is not a concept new to Alaskans. Nor is it a concept new to the audioblog! However, now fully into my second Alaskan summer, I keenly feel the pressures of Sun Guilt like never before.

On one side of this issue is a positive effect: I’m definitely more motivated to get outdoors and try new things (some new activities this summer: field-dressing ptarmigan with Gabe, riding our bikes to Anvil with Zoe, picking berries with basically anyone who is willing, and much more!). On the other side, however, sometimes I overdo it and try to pack too many things into one day and run myself ragged.

In this week’s audioblog, the terrific trio (Gabe, Zoe, and myself) discuss how we balance our desire to soak up the sun and our need to also sleep. Gabe reveals a potential winter exercise routine, and Zoe shares her secrets to a good night’s sleep. Take a listen in the media player above to hear more.

Two weeks ago, our third and final volunteer breezed into the Nome airport, sporting a blazer (for the record, I arrived in leggings and hiking boots), and we finally got to meet Gabe.

It’s been a busy month at the station with so many people coming and going. Karen was off traveling around the state with her dad, so I sat down with Gabe to see how he’s settling in. I was especially curious to hear his first impressions of Nome, since he’s spent nearly all his life in Austin, Texas (Of Nome’s July temperatures, said: “This is like winter in Texas.”), and because he studied urban design in college and hopes to work in that field in the future. Nome is certainly no metropolis, but Gabe has been delighted to discover streets full of life, especially in these summer months of endless sun. We also touch on his other love, Shakespeare, and the mysterious and seemingly inexhaustible artifacts of the volunteer house. Karen “KT in the AM” Trop phones in from Talkeetna!

Gabe, Zoe, and Karen practice poses for their house band, [ ] and the Dead Airs. Photo: Michael Burnett, used with permission.

I’ve been here for about six weeks now, which is long enough to see the difference in the sunlight (days are down to 18 hours of light, more than 3 hours shorter than when I got here just after the solstice), and it’s gone by quick enough to have me a little scared that this whole year will go by in a blur. I’ve always had trouble balancing the urge to obsessively document my life and just being present in it. While I’m still figuring that out here, I’m grateful to everyone at the station and beyond who keeps reminding me to make the most of this experience.

Right now that means enjoying the sun while we still have it. It’s mostly been a gray and rainy summer, but today is warm, and there’s plenty of blue sky showing through the clouds. Like Gabe, I’m a big fan of taking walks around town, among the kids on bikes and dogs of all shapes and sizes. Turns out it wasn’t hard at all to feel like a part of life in Nome.

The volunteer class of 2017-2018 take in the beauty near the end of Kougarok Road. Photo: Michael Burnett, used with permission.